Meghan Markle and the late Queen Elizabeth II’s relationship began on a positive note, with the monarch reportedly making an “unprecedented and highly personal gesture” to the Duchess, but then things took a turn, it’s being reported.
Queen Elizabeth II and Meghan Markle reportedly hit it off when they first met(Image: (Image: Getty))
Insiders have revealed what the late Queen Elizabeth II thought of Meghan Markle after their first meeting, as per reports.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex began their love story in 2016, and it wasn’t long before Meghan met the Royal Family, including Harry’s grandmother, the late Queen.
In the well-known Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, the couple shared details about Meghan’s first encounter with the late monarch. This significant event took place at Royal Lodge in October 2016, just a year before they announced their engagement, reports the Irish Star. Meghan told the story of meeting Harry’s grandmother for the first time, who also happened to be the Queen of England.
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As part of the Netflix series, she spoke into the camera, saying: “There wasn’t like some big moment of, ‘now you’re going to meet my grandmother.’ I didn’t know I was going to meet her until moments before.”
Harry had his grandmother’s blessing to marry the American actress with the two tying the knot on May 18, 2019 (Image: (Image: Getty))
If you haven’t seen the six-part series, it rings similar to a reality series, like the Real Housewives of New York City, when the cast members step away from the scene to film a “confessional” as they are called.
In the Netflix series, which premiered in 2023, Meghan continued with her story, as Harry sat next to. her listening.
She added: “We were in the car and we were going to Royal Lodge for lunch, and he’s like, ‘Oh, my grandmother’s here, we’re going to meet her after church’. And I remember we were in the car driving up and he’s like, ‘You know how to curtsy, right?’ And I just thought it was a joke.”
Harry is seen cringing and looking up when she says this, as it is clearly offensive to his grandmother and the Royal Family, as the tradition is a sign of respect.
Richard Eden, a correspondent for the Daily Mail, disclosed that palace sources believed the late Queen saw Meghan as a “breath of fresh air and a great asset” to the monarchy, in those early days.
In his column, Eden recounted how the late Queen warmly embraced Harry’s significant other, extending an “unprecedented and highly personal gesture” by inviting Meghan to Christmas at Sandringham in 2017, prior to the couple’s marriage.
Meghan didn’t last long as a senior working member of the Royal Family and resigned in 2020(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
It was a break from tradition — as usually only those wed into the Royal Family were participants in the Christmas festivities with the Firm. Yet, in 2017, the Queen bent the rules and even seemed to nod to Meghan during her Christmas Day message, referring to “new members” joining the family circle.
It may have been that the Queen hit if off with the American actress, which is perfectly possible, or that the monarch loved her grandson, Prince Harry, and was showing her support of him by being welcoming to his partner.
As Meghan and Harry’s 2018 nuptials neared, however, reports circulated that the Queen had growing reservations about Meghan’s conduct and outlook.
Allegedly, the late sovereign was taken by surprise when Meghan turned down the offer for Duchess Sophie to mentor her in the ways of royal integration.
Furthermore, the Queen was apparently “taken aback” by Meghan’s wedding dress selection and her demeanor regarding the tiara. It has been suggested by staff within the palace that the Duchess may not have been fully invested in embracing her life in the UK, seemingly searching for grounds to feel aggrieved or uneasy as she embarked on her Royal responsibilities.
Harry and Meghan moved to the US in 2020(Image: INSTAGRAM)
The relationship between the couple and the Royal Family continued to decline until they ultimately left the Firm in 2020 and moved to the US.
The late Queen Elizabeth was reportedly particularly “upset” by the explosive claims they made against the Royals in interviews following their departure.
In his memoir, Spare, published in January 2023, months after the Queen’s passing, Harry expressed his loyalty.
He wrote: “I’ll forever support my Queen, my Commander in Chief, my Granny. Even after she’s gone.”
He clarified that his issue was never with the monarchy or the concept of it.
He added: “My problem has never been with the monarchy, nor the concept of monarchy. It’s been with the press and the sick relationship that’s evolved between it and the Palace.”
Harry emphasized his enduring love for his home country and family, wishing they had been there for him during a particularly difficult time.
He concluded with this passage: “I love my Mother Country, and I love my family, and I always will. I just wish, at the second-darkest moment of my life, they’d both been there for me. And I believe they’ll look back one day and wish they had too.”